1. CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, 9e Michael R. Solomon
Chapter 5 The Self
CONSUMER BEHAVIOR, 9e Michael R. Solomon
4/17/2017
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall

2. Chapter Objectives
When you finish this chapter, you should understand why:
The self-concept strongly influences consumer behavior.
Products often play a pivotal role in defining the self-concept.
Sex-role identity is different from gender, and society’s expectations of masculinity and femininity help to determine the products we buy to be consistent with these expectations.
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3. Chapter Objectives (continued)
When you finish this chapter, you should understand why:
A person’s sex-role identity is a major component of self-definition. The media plays a key role in teaching us how to behave as “proper” males and females.
The way we think about our bodies (and the way our culture tells us we should think) is a key component of self-esteem.
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4. Perspectives on the Self
We buy products to highlight/hide aspects of the self
Eastern cultures focus on:
The collective self (person’s identity comes from group)
The interdependent self (person’s identity defined from relationships with others)
Western cultures focus on:
Individuality
Individual appearance
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5. Self-Concept
Self-concept: the beliefs a person holds about his/her own attributes, and how he/she evaluates these qualities
Attribute dimensions: content, positivity, intensity, stability over time, and accuracy
The self-concept is a complex structure. The chapter will discuss the attribute dimensions listed.
The image shown is a study on how attracted people are to other people who seem similar in appearance or personality. Researchers used morphing software to manipulate photos of political candidates from the 2008 presidential primaries and other elections. They combined the facial features of study participants with the candidate. Subjects who saw a morphed picture liked them better than those who saw the undoctored photos.
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6. Self-Esteem Self-esteem: the positivity of a person’s self-concept
Low self-esteem: think they will not perform well
High self-esteem: think they will be successful and will take risks
Ads can trigger social comparison
Attractive models using products
In social comparison, the person tries to evaluate her appearance by comparing it to the people depicted in ads.
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7. Discussion
Self-esteem advertising: products provide remedy to low self-esteem
Think about/locate examples of self-esteem advertising
Evaluate the probable effectiveness of these appeals. Is it true that “flattery gets you everywhere?”
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8. Real and Ideal Selves
Ideal self: our conception of how we would like to be
Actual self: our more realistic appraisal of the qualities we have
Products can:
Help us reach ideal self
Be consistent with actual self
Impression management means that we work to “manage” what others think of us
We choose some products because we think they are consistent with our actual self, while we buy others to help us reach an ideal standard. We may strategically choose clothing and other products to show off to others. In other words, we are managing their impression of us with our product choices.
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9. Discussion
What examples of impression management have you seen on Facebook and MySpace pages?
People may manage impressions with their posts on social networking sites. These impressions, however, may ultimately be positive or negative. How would a prospective employer view your posts? How do you think your friends view your posts? Are you impression managing when you use social networks?
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10. Fantasy Appeals Fantasy: self-induced shift in consciousness
A fantasy or daydream is a self-induced shift in consciousness. It might be a way to compensate for a lack of external stimulation or to escape from problems in the real world. In this German ad for shampoo, the target audience is encouraged to fantasize about leading a glamorous life.
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11. Multiple Selves Each of us has many selves and roles
Marketers pitch products needed to facilitate active role identities
Sister
Woman
Friend
Wife
We all have multiple roles we play in our lives. We may have as many selves as we do different social roles. For the person depicted in the slide, she plays the roles of athlete, wife, sister, friend, and so on. She may behave differently in one role than in another, and she buys products associated with the various roles. Often times, these roles are situation-specific. The person here would probably not wear her basketball jersey to her daughter’s PTA meeting. Not only are roles sometimes situation-specific, some are also more central to our overall selves than others. Her role as athlete is probably more central to her identity than is her role as American citizen.
Spokesperson
Pro athlete
Mother
American citizen
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12. Virtual Identity People are assuming virtual identities in cyberspace
Avatars represent visual identity
How do online “selves” affect consumer behavior?
Click photo for
secondlife.com
On virtual world sites, people assume visual identities, or avatars. These may include realistic versions of their real selves or exaggerated images like dragons or superheroes. The roleplaying may take on a physical life too. Cosplay is the dressing as online avatars in real life. Have you visited Second Life or another virtual world?
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13. Symbolic Interactionism
Symbolic interactionism: relationships with others play a large part in forming the self
“Who am I in this situation?”
“Who do other people think I am?”
We pattern our behavior on the perceived expectation of others—a self-fulfilling prophecy
If each person potentially has many social selves, how does each develop? How do we decide which to activate at any point in time? Symbolic interactionism stresses that relationships with other people play a large part in forming the self.
When we act the way we assume others expect us to act, we are confirming perceptions of who we are and who others think we are.
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14. Looking-Glass Self Looking-glass self: taking the role of the other
We take readings of our own identity by “bouncing” signals off others and trying to project what impression they have of us
Sociologists call the process of imagining others’ reactions “taking the role of the other,” or the looking-glass self.
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15. Self-Consciousness Self-consciousness: awareness of self
Researchers say that those who score high in:
Public self-consciousness are more interested in clothing and use more cosmetics
Self-monitoring are attuned to how they present themselves in social environments
When we are self-conscious, we are more aware of our presence in a situation and insecure about the perceptions others may have of us in that situation.
Some people are naturally more self-conscious than others. Those who are high self-monitors are more attuned to how they present themselves in their social environments, and their estimates of how others will perceive their product choices influence what they choose to buy.
This Italian ad reminds us that “the world is looking at you.”
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16. Consumption and Self-Concept
Identity marketing: consumers alter some aspects of their selves to advertise for a branded product
Product consumption = definition of the self
Identity marketing is a promotional strategy where consumers alter some aspects of their selves to advertise for a branded product.
For instance, Air New Zealand created “cranial billboards” in exchange for a round-trip ticket to New Zealand. 30 participants shaved their heads and walked around with an ad for the airline on their skulls. The Casa Sanchez restaurant in San Francisco gives free lunches for life to anyone who gets its logo tattooed on their body. The restaurant estimates that the cost of the identity marketing promotion is $5.8 million – in terms of the free lunches redeemed. The image shown in the slide is the Casa Sanchez tattoo on a loyal customer.
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17. You Are What You Consume
Social identity as individual consumption behaviors
Question: Who am I now?
Answer: To some extent, your possessions!
Inference of personality based on consumption patterns
Consumers may attach themselves to product to maintain self-concept
Symbolic self-completion theory: people who have an incomplete self-definition complete the identity by acquiring and displaying symbols associated with it.
The reflected self helps shape self-concept, which implies that people see themselves as they imagine others see them. Because what others see includes a person’s clothing, jewelry, furniture, car, and so on, it stands to reason that these products also help to create the perceived self. A consumer’s possessions place her into a social role which helps to answer the question, “Who am I now?”
People use an individual’s consumption behaviors to identify that person’s social identity. In addition to looking at clothes and grooming habits, we make inferences about personality based on choices of leisure activities, food preferences, and home decorating choices.
When we use objects to maintain our self-concept, we tend to become attached to those objects. For example, someone who drives a Mini Cooper may rely upon the image of Mini to relay information about his or her own identity (as a fun, distinctive, stylish person). The more the person relies upon the possession as a way of defining and supporting his or her identity, the more attached the person will be to the possession.
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18. Self/Product Congruence
Consumers demonstrate their values through their purchase behavior
Self-image congruence models: we choose products when attributes matches the self =
Product Usage
Self-Image
Research supports this idea that there is a match between product usage and self-image. In one study, car owners’ rating of themselves tended to match their perceptions of their cars. In another study, observers were able to match photos of male and female drivers to the cars they drove 70% of the time.
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19. The Extended Self
Extended self: external objects that we consider a part of us
Levels of extended self:
Individual: personal possessions (cars, clothing)
Family: residence and furnishings
Community: neighborhood or town where you live
Group: social or other groups
The external objects that we consider a part of us make up our extended selves. The Italian ad shown demonstrates that our products are part of who we are.
Many material objects can help to form a person’s identity. Consider the role of Manolo Blahniks for Carrie’s character in Sex and the City!
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20. Discussion
Construct a “consumption biography” of a friend, family member, or classmate.
Make a list of his/her most favorite possessions, and see if you or others can describe this person’s personality just from the information provided by this catalogue.
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21. Gender Differences in Socialization
Gender roles vary by culture but are changing
Many societies still expect traditional roles:
Agentic roles: men are expected to be assertive and have certain skills
Communal roles: women are taught to foster harmonious relationships
This ad for Bijan illustrates how sex-role identities are culturally bound by contrasting the expectations of how women should appear in two different countries.
Gender roles do vary by culture and they shift as culture shifts. Many of our gender roles are socialized by marketing. For instance, the Bratz line of dolls licenses its name to a cosmetics line targeted to girls ages 6 to 9.
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22. Sex-Typed Traits and Products
Sex-typed traits: characteristics we stereotypically associate with one gender or the other.
Sex-types products: take on masculine or feminine attributes
Princess telephones
Thor’s Hammer vodka
Many products are sex-typed. They take on masculine or feminine attributes and consumers associate them with one gender or another. Thor’s Hammer vodka brand comes in a short, squat bottle and it is described as “bold, broad, and solid – this is a man’s vodka.”
Dell computers tried to sex-type a microsite for females. It was called Della. The site featured women using Dell laptops to count calories and share recipes. The site was closed within 10 days of its launch. Dell quickly realized that this gender-typing was ineffective for its target audience.
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23. Androgyny Androgyny: possession of both masculine and feminine traits
Androgynous people function well in social situations
Sex-typed people: stereotypically masculine or feminine
Females more sensitive to pieces of information
Men consider overall themes
For androgynous people, their gender orientation is not clearly defined.
Zack16 is a website that highlights blog posts and video of a 16-year old boy who wakes up one morning to find his “guy parts” replaced with “girl parts.” The site seems like an entertaining diary but it turns out that Procter & Gamble’s Tampax brand created the site. It becomes clear when Zack experiences his first period in French class and goes to the girls’ restroom to use a Tampax vending machine.
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24. Female Sex Roles
Female sex roles have evolved in many cultures, but they certainly still exist. This ad cleverly gets to the heart of the female sex role.
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25. Male Sex Roles
Masculinism: study of male image and the complex cultural meanings of masculinity
Three traditional models of masculinity:
Breadwinner
Rebel
Man-of-action hero
Just like for women, the true story of the male stereotype is complex. Masculinism is the study of male image and its complex cultural meanings. Men and women receive mixed messages about how they are supposed to behave and feel.
One study looked at how American men pursue masculine identities through their everyday consumption. The study suggests that the men are trying to make sense our of three different models of masculinity: breadwinner, rebel, and man-of-action hero. The breadwinner model is based on the American view of success. The rebel model emphasizes rebellion, independence, adventure, and potency. The man-of-action hero draws from the better of the other two models.
This German car ad refers to a male stereotype.
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26. Sex Role Assumptions
This Israeli poster exhibits the contrast in our stereotypes of men and women, pointing out the complexity of choices for women and the simplicity of men. The tag line for the ad is “Thank God you’re a man.”
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27. Male Sex Roles (continued)
Metrosexual: straight, urban male who exhibits strong interests and knowledge that run counter to traditional male sex role
Ubersexuals: the best of the metrosexuals
How relevant is the metrosexual stereotype today?
Some ads actively address the lack of desirability of being perceived as a metrosexual. While the stereotype received a lot of buzz early on, it seems that it is now a passé view of a male sex role. Who can be classified as an ubersexual? Bono, George Clooney, and Pierce Brosnan are examples.
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28. GLBT Consumers 4% to 8% of U.S. population
Spend $250–$350 billion a year
Segments within the GLBT community
Super Gays
Habitaters
Gay Mainstream
Party People
Closeted
The GLBT market is at least as large as the Asian American population, which helps to put into perspective why brands would target this specific market. American Express, Stoli vodka, and Naya bottled water are among the companies who have developed specific ads to target the GLBT community.
The Asterix Group conducted a large-scale study of the gay market and found the market can be further segmented into five categories. The Super Gays are highly educated and earn high incomes. The Habitaters are older and in a stable relationship. The Gay Mainstream tend to be conservative. The Party People are young, live in big cities, and are the least educated. The Closeted segment is older and traditional. They tend to live in rural areas and relate best to companies which reach them through traditional media.
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29. Body Image
Body image: a consumer’s subjective evaluation of his/her physical self
Body cathexis: person’s feelings about his or her own body
Strong body cathexis = frequent purchases of “preening” products
A person’s physical image is a large part of his or her self-concept.
The word cathexis refers to the emotional significance of some object or idea. Consumers who are more satisfied with their bodies are more frequent users of preening products like blow dryers, cologne, and facial bronzers.
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30. Ideals of Beauty Exemplar of appearance
“What is beautiful is good” stereotype
Favorable physical features:
Attractive faces
Good health and youth
Balance/symmetry
Feminine curves/hourglass body shape
“Strong” male features
Virtually every culture has a beauty bias. Preferences for some genetic features are genetic rather than cultural – like large eyes, high cheekbones, and a narrow jaw.
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31. Waist-Hip Ratio
An example of how beauty is genetically wired is the male view of attractive female shapes. Most fertile women have waist-hip ratios of 0.6 to 0.8. This is an hourglass shape that men rank highest of all shapes. Even though preferences for weight change over time, most waist-hip ratios tend to stay in this range. Even Twiggy, the supermodel who made the “waif” look famous, had a ratio of 0.73.
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32. Discussion
How prevalent is the Western ideal of beauty among your peers?
How do you see this ideal evolving now (if at all)? If so, how?
The Western ideal of beauty is based on cues such as skin color, eye shape, and other aesthetic cues. We can see the manifestation of this ideal of beauty in products like Pond’s Skin Lightening Moisturizer and colored contacts. Have you seen a shift in what is considered beautiful among your friends over time?
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33. Ideals of Beauty Over Time
Specific “looks”/ideals of beauty
Early 1800s: “delicate/looking ill” appearance
1890s: voluptuous, lusty
1990s: “waif” look
Bad economy: mature features
Good economy: babyish features
Modern: high heels, body waxing, eyelifts, liposuction
What is ideal has shifted over time. A study of 50 years of Playboy centerfolds shows that women have become less shapely and more androgynous since Marilyn Monroe graced the first edition.
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34. Is the Western Ideal Getting Real?
Unilever learned that consumers didn’t believe beauty products really work because the women in the ads were so unrealistic
Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty
Dove sensed an opportunity when it learned that women were discounting the claims in ads for beauty products because the women in the ads were perceived as unrealistic ideals of beauty. Dove created its “Campaign for Real Beauty” to reach out to women with the message that real is beautiful.
Interestingly, Dove’s campaign flopped in China where women do believe they can achieve flawless perfection.
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35. Working on the Body Fattism Cosmetic surgery
Body decoration and mutilation
Body piercing
Society is obsessed with weight. Though it began as America’s obsession, the cultural priority on thinness is spreading to other countries. Still, even with the ideal of thin, the U.S. consumer today is larger than 60 years ago. The typical woman’s body is not as petite as it used to be.
Consumers increasingly choose to have cosmetic surgery to change a poor body image or to enhance appearance. These may include breast augmentation, liposuction, nose jobs, face lifts, and other enhancements.
Decorating the self can serve several purposes. Some of these are to:
Distinguish group members from nonmembers
Place the individual in the social organization
Place the person in a gender category
Enhance sex-role identification
Indicate desired social conduct
Indicate high status or rank
Provide a sense of security
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36. Chapter Summary Self-concept as an influence on behavior
The role of products in defining self-concept
The influence of sex-role identity on purchases
Self-esteem and our body image
Cultural expectations of appearance
We’ve covered several key concepts in this chapter. You should now understand that self-concept strongly influences our behavior as consumers and that products can play a pivotal role in defining our self-concept. Society’s expectations of masculinity and femininity help to determine the products we buy in that we seek to be consistent with expectations. The way we think about our bodies is a key component of our self-esteem. Every culture has norms for beauty which will influence how we view our bodies and decorate ourselves.
4/17/2017
Copyright © 2011 Pearson Education, Inc. publishing as Prentice Hall